Tomorrow, tomorrow...

...is a fresh start. After weeks of eating whatever I wanted, simply due to the fact that I was studying and therefore can eat whatever I like to comfort myself about my sad non-existent social life, it is time for change. It just so happens that this is also in the name of research - a few of us journalism students are road-testing some of the fad diets favoured by celebrities and diet junkies alike to see just how successful they are.

Given that I have probably consumed about 4,000 calories a day for the last two months, I figured that trying one of the more extreme diets might be a little risky as my body would probably shut down due to shock. Anyway, I love food way too much to be able to survive on sniffing lemons and drinking shot glasses of wheatgrass whenever I feel hungry. Therefore, my diet of choice for this experiment is Gwyneth Paltrow's juice/detox diet, in which she has two liquid meals a day - either pure fruit juice or smoothies - and one 'balanced' meal. The 'balanced' is to ensure that I don't devour a large pizza in one sitting and claim that it's fine because it's only one solid meal. Paltrow apparently forages for pulses and berries for this meal, while I'll just have salads and various other low-fat delights. Also, this diet encourages yoga or some other form of hippy exercise, which I will probably just replace with a jog in the evening. Or a fast walk if I'm being realistic.

I am no stranger to diets. I have survived on one meal a day before - in Leaving Cert, I didn't eat at all throughout the day until I got home and had a pitta bread with tomatoes and low-fat mayonnaise for dinner, along with a cup of tea. I have an on/off relationship with Weight Watchers. I have even attempted to last on awful awful diet shakes as my only form of nutrition (this lasted a day until I nearly fainted and surrendered to pasta at 9pm that night). My success depends on my willpower. Mondays always hold the best intentions and by Friday I'm convinced I've lost about 20lbs and that I now look like Victoria Beckham and NEED to eat something proper. But I'm optimistic about next week and trying something new.

So today I'm enjoying the last of my food freedom. Tonight, I just so happen to be going for a three course meal, which - after seeing how my fellow dieters have suffered - I will savour to the last. And tomorrow, bring on the juice.